Virtual machines (VMs) have become an essential component of modern IT infrastructure, providing numerous benefits from resource optimization to enhanced security and scalability.

For professionals in IT and software development, understanding how VMs operate and knowing which VM solutions ones are leading the industry can greatly influence how systems are designed and deployed.

Virtual machines come in all shapes and sizes. A VM could be a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) or a fully functional server. Virtualized applications, servers, and other machines provide scalable, versatile functionality for users.

So, let’s dive into the specifics of virtual machines— what they are, how they work and which ones could be best suited for your professional or personal hardware.

What is a Virtual Machine?

At its core, a virtual machine is a software emulation of a physical computer. It allows you to run an operating system (OS) and applications as if they were on a dedicated machine, but in reality, they are hosted on a physical server, sharing hardware resources with other virtual machines. VMs can run any OS, independent of the underlying hardware and OS of the host system. This abstraction allows for greater flexibility and resource management.

The concept of virtual machines has evolved significantly since its inception in the 1960s. Early forms of virtualization were developed at IBM, primarily for resource isolation and maximizing hardware utilization on mainframes.

By the 1990s and 2000s, with the rise of companies like VMware and Microsoft, VMs became a core component of IT infrastructure, supporting everything from enterprise data analysis to cloud computing.

Last year, in a Global Market Insights (GMI) report, the virtual machine market was projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 12% between 2024 and 2032, driven by the steady adoption of cloud computing.

How Virtual Machines Work

A virtual machine operates by utilizing a combination of virtual hardware, the host operating system, and the hypervisor. Here's a breakdown of the key components involved in the VM lifecycle:

Virtual Hardware:

Each VM is allocated its own virtual CPU, memory, disk, and network interface. These resources are abstracted and isolated from the physical hardware, allowing multiple VMs to coexist on the same host.

Hypervisor:

The hypervisor creates and manages VMs. It allocates resources from the physical server to the VMs and ensures that each VM is isolated from the others. The hypervisor also handles the execution of VMs, distributing CPU cycles, managing I/O, and enforcing security policies.

In a virtualized environment, the hypervisor (also known as the virtual machine monitor or VMM) sits between the hardware and the virtual machines. It manages the VMs and allocates the host’s resources such as CPU, memory, and storage. There are two main types of hypervisors:

Type 1 (bare-metal): These run directly on the physical hardware without an underlying operating system. They are generally more efficient and offer better performance.
Type 2 (hosted): These run on top of an existing OS, such as a Windows or Linux system. They tend to have more overhead, but are easier to set up and manage.

Operating System and Applications:

VMs can run virtually any operating system—Windows, Linux, or others—independently of the host OS. This allows developers and IT professionals to test software in different environments or run legacy applications without impacting the host system.

Isolation:

VMs are isolated from each other and the host OS, which increases security. If one VM encounters an issue or is compromised, the others remain unaffected.

Resource Sharing:

VMs share the physical resources of the host machine. The hypervisor dynamically allocates CPU, memory, and storage as needed, ensuring that VMs get the resources they require while preventing any one VM from monopolizing the host.

Conclusion

Virtual machines have transformed IT environments, enabling more efficient resource utilization, enhanced security, and greater scalability. By providing the ability to run multiple operating systems on the same hardware, VMs have become essential tools for both enterprises and developers.

With a variety of solutions available, organizations can select the best VM platform to meet their needs in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Understanding how VMs operate and knowing which VM solutions ones are leading the industry can greatly influence how systems are designed and deployed.